A Night Swim
by voldy.went.moldy
Summary: Hermione arrives at the Burrow before Harry, giving her and Ron some alone time.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Hermione

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any of the characters described in this story, nor do I own the Harry Potter world. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling.

It was the summer after fourth year, and Hermione had just arrived at the Burrow. As she walked up the porch steps, she was overwhelmed by happiness at the prospect of seeing Ron again. And Harry, of course. Harry wouldn't be arriving for a few days due to trouble with the Dursleys, so she and Ron would have a bit of time to themselves. She had to admit, she was slightly relieved that she wasn't seeing harry right away. Ever since the Triwizard Tournament, he had been quite irritable and depressed. Of course, this was perfectly understandable. Anyone would be a bit out of it after watching a friend die and fighting the most dangerous wizard of all time. Even so, Hermione became extremely stressed whenever she was around him. She had to constantly walk on eggshells to avoid setting him off. She walked up to the slightly crooked wooden door and knocked on it with a shaky hand. She was so excited to see Ron again, she was becoming a bit nervous about it. Mrs. Weasley opened the door with a red, sweaty face. She had obviously been working hard on something.

"Hermione, dear! You're just in time for supper," she beamed. "Ron is upstairs. I'll let you know when it's ready."

Hermione replied with a tight hug and said, "Thanks so much, Mrs. Weasley."

She started up the stairs to Ron's room, her heavy trunk bouncing behind her. After some difficulty, she arrived at Ron's door and ran her hands through her hair a few times in an attempt to smooth it before knocking. The door opened after a few anticipation-filled moments.

"Ron!" she exclaimed, taking in his appearance. "You look...different."

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Ron, shifting uncomfortably as he tried to adjust his long limbs into a less awkward position.

"No, no! Not at all," Hermione reassured him. "It was just a bit of a surprise, that's all."

And what a surprise it was. Ron's previously gawky figure had grown into one that was, well, very attractive. He was wearing a white undershirt and dark-washed jeans. The thin fabric of the undershirt allowed his nicely toned torso to peek through. His face had changed, too. He had previously just looked a bit skinny, but now his face was filled out in all the right places, which accentuated his cheekbones. His hair was still in it's perpetual state of unruliness, but it suited him now. Although disheveled and slightly unkempt, it was admittedly appealing. It made him look rugged, which was something Hermione had previously thought Ron was incapable of looking.

They shared a quick, tight hug before Ron pulled Hermione's trunk in and they sat down on the bed.

"So, how's your summer been?" asked Ron.

"Oh, it's alright. I missed you and Harry loads, though." replied Hermione, pulling a blanket over her cold feet.

Ron smiled involuntarily and said, "I missed you too, Hermione."

They stared at each other for a moment, each secretly longing to hold the other. The moment was broken by Mrs. Weasley's announcement that supper was ready.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Ron

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any of the characters described in this story, nor do I own the Harry Potter world. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling.

After a filling dinner of mince pie and assorted steamed vegetables, Ron and Hermione were left alone in the kitchen to wash the dishes. This turned out to be quite a job, as the Burrow was currently home to almost 10 people. Ron was muttering under his breath about how he didn't understand why his Mum couldn't have Bill or Charlie do it. After all, He and Hermione had a lot of catching up to do.

The two worked in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Ron's included how nice Hermione looked. She hadn't changed drastically since he had last seen her, but there were subtle changes that made all the difference. Her figure was ever so slightly curvier, her waist more accentuated. She was wearing a simple jumper and jeans, but she somehow looked wonderful. Her previously unruly hair had been tamed slightly, so that it shone when the light of the kitchen lamp hit it. Her cheeks were a tiny bit red from the work of cleaning, which only made her look more attractive. The sleeves of her jumper were rolled up at the elbow, allowing Ron to appreciate her silky, porcelain skin.

The silence was interrupted by Hermione asking, "Is it a bit hot in here?"

"Yeah, it's warm isn't it? I wonder if Fred and George have gone screwing around with Mum's heating spell. They've been unbearable since they turned seventeen. Using magic for bloody everything. George singed a bit of his hair off trying to comb it by magic.", Ron laughed.

Hermione smiled at him, making his heart beat faster. He loved her smile, the way her eyes lit up. He caught himself staring and immediately cleared his throat and turned away. After scrubbing the last dish, the two of them started up to Ron's bedroom. The sat on the floor, backs against the bed, heads resting on the mattress.

Ron sat up and asked, "How have you been doing? I mean, after everything..." He trailed off, leaving both of them to remember the horrific events that took place at the end of last year.

"I...um...oh God, Ron, I'm so scared. I'm scared for Harry and for you and for everyone. He's back. He's back and we don't know how to stop him. We can't even try with Fudge being the blithering idiot he is. How can he deny it? He's putting us all in more danger. I don't know, Ron. I'm starting to get anxious about everything. I don't know if I can handle this, but I haven't really got much of a choice, have I?" Hermione asked. Her voice became unsteady and her eyes were in danger of spilling over with tears.

It made Ron's chest tight and his stomach hurt to see her so distraught. He put an arm around her shoulder as she tried not to cry.

"I know, Hermione. I'm so sorry. God, I wish I could just stop time so we could have just a second of peace. I want to say it's all going to be alright, but I don't know what's going to happen. I'm so sorry, Hermione." Ron said, pain in his eyes as he saw a tear run down her cheek. He suddenly had an urge to get up and do something, anything, instead of sitting there feeling helpless. "Hey, you know what? We could go for a swim. Get our minds off of everything. And get out of this bloody heat."

Hermione looked surprised, but after a minute said, "Actually, that's not a terrible idea. I'll go change." She got up, wiped her eyes, and smiled at Ron. "Thanks, Ron. Really." And with that, she left to get her bathing suit.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Ron and Hermione

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any of the characters described in this story, nor do I own the Harry Potter world. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling.

Ron and Hermione met in the hallway after changing into their bathing suits, gathering towels and blankets, and headed out towards the pond. Ron glanced over at Hermione as they walked, taking in the smoothness of her skin in the moonlight. They set their things down on the bank, and removed their cover-ups. Each surreptitiously studied the other's body, trying not to be too obvious about their appreciation of it.

Her eyes moving over Ron's body, Hermione was in slight awe. His torso was toned, but not overly so. He was wearing swim trunks that allowed a view of his slim yet taught legs. His chest and head were the most stunning, however. The muscles in his neck moved obviously when he spoke, making her want to kiss them. In the low light, Ron's cheekbones were very apparent, which made it difficult for Hermione to take her eyes off them.

Ron couldn't help but look at Hermione. She was wearing a simple black two-piece that clung to her body in a very attractive manner. He could see clearly the curve of her chest and hips, and the graceful way her body moved. She had let her hair down, and it curled perfectly around her shoulders. Her skin shone in an almost ghost-like manner. She moved towards him and together they ran into the water.

"Merlin's beard!" exclaimed Hermione. "It's so cold! I thought it might have warmed up, but apparently I was mistaken", she said, shivering.

"Do you want to get out? We could do this another time, if you want." said Ron, trying to be a gentleman, although he truthfully wanted nothing less than to leave.

Hermione shook her head and smiled. "It's nice, actually. Refreshing."

They began to swim, racing from one end of the pond to the other. When Ron won, he took her playfully in his arms, saying, "Finally, Hermione Granger isn't the best at something."

He expected her to fight his grip, but she did not. Instead, he saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh God, Hermione, did i hurt you?" he asked, panicking, and immediately let her go.

She shook her head tearfully and tried to smile. He breathed a sigh of relief, but was confused by her tears. He swam closer to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Did I do something? Hermione, I'm so sorry. Really. Do you want to go? I'm sorry."

Hermione shook her head again and said, "No, no. You didn't do anything, and I don't want to go. I just...when you grabbed me...I...never mind." she said quickly, brushing away her tears.

Ron looked at her inquisitively, and said, "No, tell me. You can tell me anything. You know that, right? I promise I won't be judgmental or anything."

Hermione looked up at the sky, trying to keep her tears from falling. Finally, she said in a shaky voice, "I'm so lonely, Ron. I'm so lonely that it makes my chest hurt sometimes. And when you grabbed me...it was just so nice to have physical contact with someone."

Ron didn't speak, but took her hand and swam closer to shore, so they could stand on the sand. She looked up at him, and without warning, he wrapped her in his arms. She gasped slightly, but then relaxed and nearly melted into him. She returned his embrace, nearly digging her fingers into his back. He could feel her crying, and he too was tearful. After a few minutes, they pulled apart. Hermione was surprised to see Ron's tear-streaked face. He took her hands and kissed them before bringing her back to shore. He laid out a thick blanket and covered Hermione's wet shoulders with a towel. They sat down facing each other, Ron trying to muster the courage to speak.

"Hermione, I don't know if you want to hear this. I don't know if this is the right time, or if there even is a right time. And I certainly don't expect you to feel the same. But I...I love you. I love you, Hermione." he said, stuttering.

Hermione looked shell-shocked for a moment before bursting into tears. "I love you too, Ron. I really do," she said between sobs. "I've loved you since first year. Ron, I...I can't even express how much I needed to hear you say that."

Ron's eyes had welled up, and were in danger of overflowing. Without speaking, Ron gently picked Hermione up and placed her in his lap so that they were face-to-face. He put his arms around her, pulling her close until there were mere inches between them. They both had a burning sensation in the pits of their stomachs, a kind of nervous ecstasy. Ron moved his hand up her back so that it was cupping the back of her head. He stared at her, just appreciating the moment. He leaned in and, ever so softly, kissed her. It was not hard and passionate, but soft and gentle and full of emotion. She parted her lips slightly so as to allow their kiss to become deeper. Hermione's arms were around Ron's neck, and his hands in her hair. Their kiss lasted for several minutes before the pulled apart. Breathing deeply, Ron gazed in awe at Hermione. He took her head and placed it on his shoulder, pulling her into a deep hug.

"Please never go." Ron whispered. "This is perfect."

Hermione smiled and hugged him tighter. Eventually, Ron broke the embrace and sighed.

"I don't want to go back. I want to stay here forever." Ron said, and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we could stay just for tonight?" asked Hermione hopefully, and Ron beamed at her. He pulled out another blanket and positioned it on top of them. They laid side by side, Ron's arm around Hermione's waist, and they fell asleep. Just for that one night, they had found happiness.


End file.
